Federal · Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

33 U.S.C. § 1: Regulations by Secretary of the Army for navigation of waters generally

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

The Secretary of the Army may issue regulations for navigation of U.S. waters. Violating these regulations is a misdemeanor punishable by fine up to $500 or imprisonment up to six months.

Read the full statutory text
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Army to prescribe such regulations for the use, administration, and navigation of the navigable waters of the United States as in his judgment the public necessity may require for the protection of life and property, or of operations of the United States in channel improvement, covering all matters not specifically delegated by law to some other executive department. Such regulations shall be posted, in conspicuous and appropriate places, for the information of the public; and every person and every corporation which shall violate such regulations shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof in any district court of the United States within whose territorial jurisdiction such offense may have been committed, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500, or by imprisonment (in the case of a natural person) not exceeding six months, in the discretion of the court. Any regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army in pursuance of this section may be enforced as provided in section 413 of this title , the provisions whereof are made applicable to the said regulations.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.